Indian IT services provider MindTree is celebrating 10 years supporting the Spastics Society in Indian state Karnatica which was formed in 1999.

The government has invited tenders for "identity verification and authentication services", in an attempt to assess the public sector's need for something that will confirm a user's identity.

RBS is axing 1,000 technology jobs as part of a cull of 3,500 positions across the company.

As the new school term starts, the County Council is asking motorists to take extra care and look out for children on the roads, some of whom may be walking or cycling to school for the first time.

In East Sussex, the County Council employs 120 school crossing patrols at 73 sites, helping children cross the road safely while walking to and from school. But motorists can help by being extra vigilant and looking out for children crossing the road on their own.

Road awareness training can also help children to be safe on the roads. Parents interested in extra training for their children should look out for information at their school about the Footsteps and Cycle Awareness courses, starting soon.

Footsteps is a pedestrian training scheme for young children which aims to develop their awareness of roads. Children – usually from the reception class and Years 1 and 2 – are taken outside their school with a trained tutor and parent volunteers to observe local traffic and talk about road safety.

Footsteps helps children learn how to live safely with traffic and avoid accidents. They learn how to behave on and near the road, and to be aware of the dangers of traffic. Under the careful guidance of a tutor, children learn how to identify a safe place to cross and how to cross safely.

A cycling awareness course gives children the skills they need for riding their bikes on the road. The aim is to encourage children to think independently and make their own informed decisions. Cycle awareness courses are available to children nine years old and above.

Most of the cycle training is on the road, with practice sessions in the playground. Most courses are run in conjunction with local schools, by council-approved cycle trainers usually for a small fee.

Councillor Matthew Lock, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said, "Road awareness and cycling courses can help children to travel to school safely and in an environmentally friendly way. To be able to walk and cycle safely gives children some independence. It is also great exercise and can help to keep both children and parents stay fit and active."

For more information on walking and cycling training please visit our section on road awareness.

Find out more information on school crossing patrols

Our shingle beaches have proven to be a big hit with residents of East Sussex thanks to a County Council project to raise awareness of their importance as a habitat for rare plants and animals.

Work designed to monitor, maintain and enhance the shingle beaches of East Sussex began in April 2008. Community groups and other volunteer organisations helped to carry out 380 surveys covering approximately 38 kilometres of coastline, recording a variety of shingle communities and species. Over 70 volunteers expressed an interest in the project and attended training days with the intention of carrying out shingle vegetation surveys.

Work to promote our shingle beaches now continues with European funding as part of the 'Accessing the Countryside' project.

Shingle beaches are home to nationally rare plant species such as Red Hemp-nettle, Sea Holly and Sea Pea, which can be found in a handful of locations across the East Sussex coastline. They are also home to birds such as the Ringed Plover, which often nests directly on the beach, and insects such as the Toadflax Brocade Moth.

The shingle beach project encourages the protection and enhancement of shingle habitats across the county, thereby helping to make these areas accessible and enjoyable places to visit.

The latest development is the installation of an interpretation board at Sovereign Harbour, to help inform locals and visitors, so whilst enjoying the beach they can also learn a bit more about it. It will be placed close to paths along the beach front, allowing the maximum number of visitors to see it easily as they pass by.

The cost of designing and making the interpretation board will be met by European funding as part of the 'Accessing the Countryside' Interreg IVA 2 Seas project.

The board will be in place on 3 September. PCDL (a partner organisation to the Environment Agency) have kindly agreed to install the board on site free of charge.

Further information

The shingle beach project is part of Accessing The Countryside project. In March 2009, the County Council secured an ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) grant through the Interreg IVA 2 Seas Programme, working with our Flemish partners. The project runs for three years and 6 months until 30 June 2012.

The aim of the project is to encourage people to access the countryside whether through volunteering and training or guided walks and cycle rides. The project will also fund access improvements including surface enhancements and countryside furniture repair and renewal, to enable easier access to our countryside sites and rights of way network.

We are working with three Flemish organisations: The Province of West Flanders, Westtoer and the Regional Landscape of the West Flemish Hills. ESCC will benefit from their knowledge and experience in countryside management and rights of way, including sand dune management and the development of database software. Exchange visits and best practice documents will allow us to address many common issues and find joint solutions.

Pupils and teachers in East Sussex have been celebrating after GCSE results across the county improved again.

Across all 27 secondary schools in the county 55 per cent of students gained five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths – a 4% increase on the previous best last year.

The provisional GCSE results announced on Tuesday 24 August, showed another year of improvement across the county with 19 schools achieving or matching their best ever results including English and maths.

The 19 schools who have had their best ever results for 5 or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics are:

• Beacon Community College
• Bexhill High School
• Cavendish School
• Eastbourne Technology College
• Filsham Valley School
• Hailsham Community College
• Heathfield Community College
• Hillcrest School
• Priory School
• Ratton School
• Ringmer Community College
• Rye Community College
• Seaford Head Community College
• The Bishop Bell CofE School
• The Causeway School
• The Grove
• Tideway School
• Uplands Community Technology College
• William Parker School.

Councillor Keith Glazier, East Sussex County Council's Lead Member for Children's and Adult Services praised all involved. He said: "I would like to congratulate everyone whose hard work has contributed to these excellent results. They are, once again, a tribute to the dedication and commitment of students and their teachers.

"I am delighted to see so many successes and also extremely pleased to see yet another year of overall improvement for the county. We are not complacent, however, and will continue to work hard to drive standards still higher."

The results also show that five schools achieved an improvement of more than 10% on last year.

These are:

• Bexhill High School
• Filsham Valley High School
• Hailsham Community Colldge
• Bishop Bell
• Causeway.